Nimesh Chetri and his wife were awakened at around two in the morning on Wednesday by unexpected announcements over loudspeakers warning of gushing flood waters in Ghel Khola in West Bengals Kalimpong district. The couple quickly awakened their three kids and fled to a higher location. They heard the Teesta River waters pouring into their village in torrents within minutes. The Chetris were forced to move to a relatives home after losing three pigs and having their home buried.The conundrum hourThe house on the Teesta Rivers banks, close to National Highway 10 (NH-10), could only be seen from its tin roof. The remainder was covered in dirt and garbage. The Teesta, which runs through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, was flooded downstream in Sikkim after a glacier lake overflowed due to excessive rains. Homes, roads, and a dam that supplies the area with electricity were all destroyed by the floods.(Image source: X/TwitterTrail of destructionThree kilometers upstream from Ghel Khola, the floods left behind a similar trail of destruction in Teesta Bazar in the Kalimpong district.Three kilometers separate Ghel Khola and Teesta Bazar, but traveling that distance requires more time than normal due to the difficult terrain, including navigating dense undergrowth and slick, muddy pathways. The vital NH-10, which links the area to the rest of the nation, has sustained catastrophic damage in several locations.Flooding away lives!Visuals show devastation caused by flash flood in the Teesta river in Sikkim, leaving at least 10 people dead, scores injured and around 80 others missing. (n/2) pic.twitter.com/qf3UObDew4— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 5, 2023 At least 19 people died as a result of the flash floods, and close to 100 people are still missing. The damage is serious, according to an engineer in charge of the repair work at Teesta Bazar, and it will likely take more than a month or even two months to fully restore the highway.CM speaksSikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited the flood-hit regions of Rangpo and Singtam to take stock of the situation. Separate teams have been set up in every district to monitor and coordinate the rescue and relief operations.VIDEO | I have held conversations with the PM (Narendra Modi), the Union Home minister (Amit Shah), the President (Droupadi Murmu) and other Union ministers. They have assured me to provide all the necessary assistance, Sikkim CM @PSTamangGolay tells @PTI_News on flash flood… pic.twitter.com/rFcT1uKMIu— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 6, 2023 Over 2400 people have been evacuated, while a few thousand have taken shelter in relief camps.
